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AI Adoption In Science Rising, But Challenges Remain
A new survey published by Nature reveals that researchers worldwide see AI as a transformative force in scientific research and publishing.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- A Wiley survey of 5,000 researchers found AI adoption in science is increasing rapidly.
- Over half believe AI already outperforms humans in tasks like summarizing and plagiarism checks.
- 72% want to use AI for manuscript preparation within the next two years.
Conducted by Wiley, the survey gathered responses from nearly 5,000 researchers across 70 countries, highlighting both the enthusiasm and challenges surrounding AI adoption in academia.
Nature reports that the findings suggest that generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, are expected to become widely accepted for tasks like manuscript preparation, grant writing, and peer review within the next two years.
More than half of the respondents believe AI already surpasses humans in over 20 research-related tasks, including summarizing findings, detecting errors in writing, checking for plagiarism, and organizing citations.
Additionally, 34 out of 43 surveyed AI use cases are expected to become mainstream in research within the next two years.
“What really stands out is the imminence of this,” said Sebastian Porsdam Mann, an expert in AI ethics at the University of Copenhagen, as reported by Nature.
“People that are in positions that will be affected by this — which is everyone, but to varying degrees — need to start” addressing this now, he added.
Despite the growing optimism, the survey also highlights limited current use of AI in research. Among the first 1,043 respondents, only 45% reported actively using AI in their work, primarily for translation, proofreading, and manuscript editing.
While 81% had used ChatGPT for personal or professional purposes, fewer were familiar with alternative AI tools like Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot. Researchers in China, Germany, and the field of computer science were found to be the most active AI users.
While 72% of respondents expressed interest in using AI for manuscript preparation in the next two years, they were less confident in AI’s ability to handle complex tasks such as identifying gaps in literature, selecting journals, or recommending peer reviewers.
Though 64% remain open to using AI for these functions, they still believe humans outperform AI in these areas.
One major obstacle to AI adoption is the lack of guidance and training. Nearly two-thirds of respondents cited inadequate training as a barrier, while 81% voiced concerns over AI’s accuracy, bias, and privacy risks.
“We think there’s a big obligation of publishers and others to help educate,” said Josh Jarrett, senior vice-president of Wiley’s AI growth team, as reported by Nature.
Wiley plans to release updated AI guidelines in the coming months to provide clearer recommendations on safe and ethical AI use in research. As AI continues to evolve, researchers hope for more structured training and clearer guidelines to navigate this rapidly changing landscape.
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